Down Time
by Cindy Ryan
Summary: Sheppard/Keller. Ficlet. A quiet infirmary and Bon Jovi….can Jen get John to dance?


This ficlet was inspired when I caught myself dancing around my apartment the other day when Bon Jovi came on the radio.  
A little J/J fluff for your day, enjoy. :)

Title: Down time  
Author: Cindy Ryan  
Pairing: Sheppard/Keller  
Timeline: Set a few weeks after Daedalus Variations but before Ghost in the machine  
Summary: A quiet infirmary and Bon Jovi….can Jen get John to dance?

Doctor Jennifer Keller walked around her infirmary a clipboard in one hand. Things had been quiet since the events on the alternate Daedalus a few weeks back. Since today was Sunday and there were no patients to attend to, Jennifer had given her staff the day off.  
It gave her a chance to catch up on paperwork and the dreaded inventory.

To help get the mundane tasks done, Jennifer had brought her cd player. In it she had a CD mix that a friend from home had sent about three months back.  
A mix of the most popular Bon Jovi songs from 1984 to the present.  
Currently she had the volume up but not quite to the threshold of pain. It was an infirmary after all.  
Jennifer moved back to the work station she had the cd player sitting on and hit the rewind button.  
A familiar beat filled the room.

/It's all the same, only the names will change  
Everyday, it seems we're wastin' away  
Another place, where the faces are so cold  
I drive all night, just to get back home /

With a smile Jennifer slid across the room to where some shelves were. She tapped her pen to the clipboard in time with the music.

/I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride  
I'm wanted dead or alive  
Wanted dead or alive/

Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard walked towards the infirmary. It'd been a slow day and he'd been hoping Jennifer would want to move their lunch date up.Woosley had surprisingly given most of the senior staff the afternoon off. It was a nice day, maybe afterwards they could go to the mainland

As John neared the infirmary he heard music.

Strains of Bon Jovi reached his ears John closed the space to the infirmary and poked his head in the doorway.

/Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days  
The people I meet always go their separate ways  
Sometimes you tell the day  
By the bottle that you drink  
And times when you're all alone all you do is think/

At first John thought the infirmary was empty and somebody had left the music on. But then he spotted Jen over by the far wall near a stack of supply shelves. John smiled seeing her walk along the shelves clipboard in hand. Her body moved in time to the song.

/I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride  
I'm wanted dead or alive  
Wanted dead or alive...

Oh, I ride!

(yeah!)

Ooh, and I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride  
I'm wanted dead or alive/

After a few minutes John approached Jennifer careful not to startle her. He waited until she reached the end of the shelf and turned to go around the back.

"Hi."John greeted as he caught her attention raising his voice to be heard over the music.

Jennifer blushed. "How long have you been here?"

John grinned. "Long enough."

/I walk these streets  
A loaded six-string on my back  
I play for keeps, 'cause I might not make it back  
I been everywhere, still I'm standing tall  
I've seen a million faces  
And I've rocked them all/

Jennifer moved closer to John to be heard. "I gave everybody the day off. Music helps me get the boring inventory done."

/I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride  
I'm wanted dead or alive  
I'm a cowboy, I got the night on my side  
I'm wanted dead or alive  
Wanted dead or alive/

The song ended and John kissed her quickly. "Woosley gave senior staff the afternoon off. I was hoping we'd do lunch earlier and then go to the mainland. How much more work do you have?"

Jennifer glanced down at the clipboard to double check. "Just finished actually."

John smiled as he grabbed her hand. "So let's go."

Jennifer shook her head as she planted her feet. "Not yet."

John turned back to her. "What?"

The next song started and Jennifer smiled. "Dance with me."

/Once upon a time not so long ago:  
Tommy used to work on the docks  
union's been on strike

He's down on his luck - It's tough  
so tough.  
Gina works the diner all day  
working for her man/

John shook his head. "I don't dance, Jen. You know that."

Jennifer pulled him toward her. "Neither do I. These songs make it easy."

/She brings home her pay for love  
for love.

She says: We've got to hold on to what we've got  
'Cause it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not.  
We've got each other and that's a lot for love -  
We'll give it a shot.

We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer/

"Jen…."John protested as Jennifer led them to a more open area.

/Take my hand and we'll make it  
I swear - livin' on a prayer./

"Just this song and then we'll go."Jennifer promised as she laced her fingers with his.

John pulled her close resting his head on top of hers as they moved in a slow circle.

/Tommy got his six string in hock.  
Now he's holding in what he used to make it talk -  
So tough  
it's tough.  
Gina dreams of running away  
when she cries in the night  
Tommy whispers: Baby  
it's okay  
someday./

Jennifer stepped back not being able to resist doing a twirl. She was proud of herself for not tripping over her own feet in the process.

John smiled and pulled her back towards him.

/We've got to hold on to what we've got . . .  
We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer

We've got to hold on ready or not

You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer  
We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer  
We're half way there - Livin' on a prayer/

They stayed in each others arms for a long moment after the song ended.

Reluctantly Jennifer disentangled herself from John and crossed over to the cd player and shut it off.

"We need to do that more often."John commented as they left the infirmary.

"I thought you didn't dance."Jennifer replied with a smile as he laced his hand with hers.

"With you, it was fun."John stated as he squeezed her hand.

"I'll hold you to that."Jennifer said with a smile as they made their way to the mess.

end


End file.
